The Highwayman Of Tanglewood

The Highwayman Of Tanglewood
Marcia McClure / Historical Romance

A chambermaid in the house of Tremeshton, Faris Shayhan well knew torment, despair and trepidation. To Faris it seemed the future stretched long and desolate before her-bleak and as dark as a lonesome midnight path. Still, the moon oft casts hopeful luminosity to light one's way. So it was that Lady Maranda Rockrimmon cast hope upon Faris-set Faris upon a different path-a path of happiness, serenity and love. Faris abandoned the tainted air of Tremeshton in favor of the amethyst sunsets of Loch Loland Castle and her new mistress Lady Rockrimmon. Further, it was on the very night of her emancipation that Faris first met the man of her dreams-the man of every woman's dreams-the rogue Highwayman of Tanglewood. Dressed in black and astride his mighty steed, the brave, heroic and dashing rogue Highwayman of Tanglewood stole Faris' heart as easily as he stole her kiss. Yet, the Highwayman of Tanglewood was encircled in mystery-mystery as thick and as secretive as time itself. Could Faris truly own the heart of a man so entirely enveloped in twilight shadows and dangerous secrets?

(click on the title to see how I felt about it)




This was the book that started the addiction I have to Marcia McClure books. From the moment I began reading about the infamous Highwayman and Lochlan Rockrimmon,  my fate was sealed and I have thanked my lucky stars every day since for putting this book in my hands. I've said it before but I am a HUGE sucker for romance. I revel in the feelings I experience as I read about two people, who after they find one another begin this flirtatious dance with one another that inevitably leads to me covered in goosebumps and desperately in love with the hero. This book catered to EVERY need I have as a hopeless romantic and touched my heart in a most intimate way.

Because I review mainly on what I felt as I read and the kind of connection I made with the characters, it's enough to say that the storyline of the book added enough intrigue to keep me engrossed.  It is the story of Faris, the young chambermaid who finds herself torn between two men who lay claim to her heart - the handsome rogue called the Highwayman of Tanglewood and the irresistible son of the Lord she serves. Just when I thought I knew who the Highwayman was, something would happen and in a moment of doubt, I would start wondering all over again.

As with all Marcia books, the story pulled me in and connected me straight with the characters. The excitement of finding her first love and the thrill that comes of her secret rendezvous with the Highwayman, Farris had me smiling and nervous for her as I slowly watched her relationship unfold. With each passionate kiss and intimate embrace she shared with the Highwayman, I would get a shiver and feel a slight blush. The Highwayman was magnificent and appealed to me on so many levels. He was so heroic and sincere in his feelings for Farris and the way he would talk with her made me sigh. Add then Lochlan into the equation and I was a mess. Lochlan is one of my favorite Marcia men and I'm telling you right now, that man curled my toes. I wanted to reach into the book and PULL HIM OUT!! I loved the sense of humor he had and the way he would defend Faris, even though as some pointed out, she was just a chambermaid. He was the valiant protector in the book and I found him incredibly sexy. I felt for poor Faris because the more she became involved with both of these men, the more tangled her feelings became. If  I was in her situation who would I have chosen? The rogue or protector? The stolen kiss in the twilight or the stolen kiss over a plate of pie in the kitchen? The kisses in this book are to DIE for and I'll proudly admit that one of my kissing book crushes is Lochlan. That man can kiss and the passion he shows is breathtaking. How I wished I was Faris as he pushed her up against the wall and kissed her, as he pulled her close against his body and loved her *melts into a puddle* I told you, hopeless romantic.

Watching her go through all the emotions connected with such decisions made it an amazing read.The more I read and the deep I became involved in the story, the more my heart raced and stomach dipped. I'm telling you that Marcia McClure has a gift when it comes to writing romance because she was able to tap into the secret desires of women's hearts and create the most extraordinary men. This is a definite must read and one that would be a perfect choice for those new to Marcia. It doesn't matter how many times I read, my reactions are always the same and I'm left with the feeling that as long as there are books like this that celebrate that intimate, romantic connection between two people, that things won't ever be to bleak that we can't hope for a little romance of our own. If you haven't figured it out, I LOVED this book and invite you to join me in my addiction *stops typing and dreamily SIGHES over Lochlan*